By Elena Durnbaugh
Assistant Editor
Posted: August 10, 2022 5:16 PM

I'm going to let you in on a little secret – I'm not actually a journalist.

I tripped and fell into this profession through an unmarked side door on my way from an archaeology department.

My name is Elena Durnbaugh, and I'm Gongwer's newest State House reporter.

Some of you may recognize my byline. Most recently, I covered the city beat for the Lansing State Journal. Prior to that, I was writing about city government for the Battle Creek Enquirer. I also did a stint at a weekly paper in Troy way back in 2018.

Prior to that is where things get a little unconventional for a news reporter.

Journalism was never on my radar while I was in school. I did my undergraduate studies at Oakland University in anthropology and linguistics. From there, I went on to get my masters at the University of Edinburgh in classical art and archaeology. My dissertation was on first century synagogues.

I learned many things in grad school, including that I didn't want to be an academic. So, after a moment of panic, I started asking questions, reading reports and looking up data to try to make informed decisions on what I should do next.

In the middle of that process, I realized that what I was doing was not dissimilar to reporting. Upon further consideration, I decided that journalism wasn't that far removed from archaeology. After all, digging for information is digging for information. The biggest difference was that in journalism, the people you want to ask questions of are alive.

Now, instead of consulting primary sources as a historian, I'm creating them as a journalist.

Given my background, I appreciate the responsibility that comes with witnessing history, especially as we continue to face unprecedented times full of big questions and sudden changes. As a journalist, I believe my responsibility is to tell stories plainly and accurately.

I'm excited to cover Michigan politics for Gongwer. I promise I'll be here to ask questions, document events and uncover information so that we can all understand the historical moment we're living in a little bit better.

Feel free to reach out to me with news tips or story ideas at edurnbaugh@gongwer.com or on Twitter at @ElenaDurnbaugh. I'd love to hear from you.